Kamba Ramayanam-Bala Kandam Padalam 8-10

Chapters 8-11 tell the  story   of the  performance of  Yaga by Viswamithra., till king Janaka asks Viswamithra  about the,  The  release of Ahalya from her curse  , the falling in love of Rama and Sita, as well as the story of Viswamithra as told by Sadananda  , the  son of Ahalya are   contained   in these chapters.

8.Velvi Padalam

The chapter   on fire sacrifice

(      This chapter tells how  sage Viswamithra   gave   divine arrows   to Rama. Viswamithra tells the store of his forefathers and also  about his father Gadhi,, his sister Kaushiki   the story of Mahabali and Vamana   and  tells him about Sidhasrama where Lord Vishnu did penance.  Then Viswamithra starts the Yaga, after the sixth day the asuras come  . Rama kills Subahu and throws out Mareecha in the sea  and also kills lot of asuras. The Yaga is   satisfactorily completed.

    Apart from these aspects the Valmiki Ramyana in detail tells the story of Ganga    as well as the birth of karthikeya.  I am not able to tell why Kambar chose to leave out the story  of Karthikeya, in spite of Karthikeya (Subrahmanya)  being the main God of Tamil Nadu.)

394.After  the departure of the devas , leaving that  cool forest ,

In which devas had   showered the fully open flowers,

Viswamithra who has done unbearable penance  ,

Gave   Rama and Lakshmana   weapons   ,

Which were  like  the words  of Philanthropist  ,

THiruvennai naloor   Chadayapa    , which were   the medicine ,

To the  poverty disease    of the people

(Thiruvennai nallor Chadayappa Vallal   was the patron   who   helped Kambar with  wealth   ,

So that    he can write the epic. In gratitude Kambar mentions his name once   in every 1000 verses.)

395.All those divine weapons  , as soon  that sage who got his sorrows removed,

And as soon as the sage told the correct chants  ,

Like the  good karmas done in the birth of  a pure hearted man    

Searches for him  and joins in him the next birth  

With great joy   went and  reached   the Lord Rama.

396.When the gods of the weapon told Rama   that , “Oh valorous one  ,

WE have reached you  . Whatever work you   give and send us,

WE will  do that job like your younger brother Lakshmana   and come back to you.”

And Rama told them , “great”   , they started doing   the outside jobs.

Of Rama     who  had the black colour   of Kayampoo.

397.After all  these things happened   , they walked ,

A further distande of two Kadhams (10 miles)     and    then , they all  ,

Heard   a very big sound     from a nearby place  ,

And when Rama asked the sage , “ What is this sound?”,

That great sage   who became a great saint  ,

And lost both fates     by doing great penance told.

398.” That is the sound   of the divine river Sarayu   which,

Originates  from Manasarovar   and which is praised by devas ,

 Joining with another    great river called  Gomathi.,.

And once they crossed  it and further   they reached,

Another    very great and big river   , which,

Is capable of removing the sorrow of the birth death cycle.

399.There when,    Rama asked that blessed sage  , Which ,

Is the river  that   is worshipped by even devas  , he told,

“Brahma who lives   on the lotus flower    had a son  ,

Called Kucha   who was greatly victorious   and a great one  ,

And a king of kings who is praised by great   people  ,

And he had four sons   who  were like four Vedas.

400 .Kuchanabha who was one   of them   had hundred daughters,

Who all  had pretty  voice and  coral like lips ,

And once when they were growing up  , they   went to a garden to play  and

 Lord Wind God who came there    was greatly   attracted by them.

401.  He told them, “I am now very sad being attacked   by  Manmatha,

Who has the matchless Makara fish on his  flag   and used  the arrows from his  curved bow.

And so oh girls who have pretty eyes like the fold of  mango just formed,

Please marry me:. “ And they  told  him,

“Go and salute   and request for our hands  with our father   and if he agrees ,

And gives   us to you along with water  , we would  marry you.”

The wind God became angry with them   and broke    their  back ,

And all those lustrous girl who wore bangles  , fell down.

402. After the wind God went from there  , those girls crawled   on earth,

And reached their father and told him in nectar  like  lisping tones,

That king   consoled   those girls with long   hair   and gave in  marriage

Those girls  who were like  Goddess Lakshmi, To  the fainted  ,.

Brahma Dutta   who was the son of Chooli   of   great penance  .

403.  When Brahma Dutta caressed  those girls with his flower like   hands,

Their hunchback was cured and they again became pretty,

That Kuchanabha , the ruler of the world  who did not have any sons

Performed the fire sacrifice for getting sons, with the assistance of proper   saints,

And from the middle of   that suitable fire, He got a suitable son  called Gadhi,

Who was  having suitable   and speedy horses.

404-405. After  that king   gave Gadhi the kingdom and kingship and reached the gold like heavens  ,

To that Gadhi who was ruling in a   city called Mahodhaya,

I    and kaushiki  who was born before me   was born  ,

And that  king Gadhi who was  the king of kings   wearing a crown,

Gave in marriage   the Kaushiki   to Rasika     who was the son of Brugu

Who was    greater     even  than his  father    and had   a   broad mind  ,

And he who was   expert in great Vedas   after living with Kaushiki for some time  ,

And after  having a lead a happy  life  and earning  lots of wealth  ,

Wanting to attain salvation did penance to God  and attained him.

406.After  her husband left for   to heavens due to the great  penance,

My sister Kaushiki not able to tolerate   the parting  , took a form of    a very big river,

And  when she started to go to heavens  , Rasika who was the king of sages,

Told her become a river so that the   sorrow of earth is removed,

And he himself     went to the  world of Brahma.

407 Hearing the great sage Visamithra tell them that

“.My elder sister  Kaushiki   , took the form of a very big river”

The elder and younger brother  , became wonderstruck,

 And further after walking for    some more time  ,

Asked the sage   about a garden which was covered with cloud

The sage    of great penance started   telling them about that.

408.”This garden   is as pure as the mind   of  great women  ,

Who think that   there is no greater God than their husband  , Please hear further.

This is the place    where Lord Vishnu , the red eyed God   , who   is not reachable ,

To all the four Vedas , intelligence of  devas   and  all  others

  Lived   and carried out a great fire   sacrifice  .”

409.” In this world and in heavens, to get rid of worldly attachments,

What is chanted     are only his names  and   the great misunderstandings.

Done by that divine one   are not  clearly  understood by any one  .”

Saying this  he told, I am not capable    of understanding  the mind of,

That   Great god who is stainless   and he   did penance here   for hundred yugas(eons) .”

410.”And when that great God Vishnu was  living here ,  there lived  Mahabali  ,

Who was comparable    to Varaha who had two teeth   which ,

Were capable of putting an end      to this world   and that one,

Made    the heavens    as well as the     earth as   his.”

411.” Mahabali   who had usurped    the earth and the heavens  ,

Thinking of completing   a great fire sacrifice   with Ghee ,

Which is impossible       even for the devas    to do   and

He decided   to give the earth   to Brahmins    who had a   heart without doubt.”

412 :”When the devas came to know  about this activity of Mahabali,

They went to Lord Vishnu and stood     there    saluting him,

And  they begged him   to put an end to the cruel deeds of cruel Mahabali  ,

And Lord Vishnu who was their leader    decided   to do their job.”

413.To the sage Kashyapa   who could calculate   and know  ,

The past , present   and who was a master  in real knowledge ,

And his wife Adhithi   was born a matchless     child  ,

Who was   an incarnation   of Lord Vishnu   who was ,

Like the seed  of Banyan tree   in  a micro form  ,

And   who was    having a   form of a dwarf.

414.That wonderful one   was wearing a three fold sacred thread,

And was having a  waist belt made    oh Muncha grass,

Had a toungue     which helped him  learn Vedas,

And who  lit fire with his hand (samitha Dhanam)     and he took a form  ,

Which only wise people recognize   and,

Which was suitable    to the great wisdom he had ,

And he   went    to the hall of fire sacrifice of Mahabali.

415.On that day   hearing about his arrival  , That  Mahabali  ,

Who has    won over all the world  , rushed   and received him and said,

“Oh one who is  filled with penance  , I do not find   any Brahmin better than you,

And from now on  who would be better   than me.

416.When that valorous Mahabali     told him like that 

That  Vamana  who knew everything told him,

“Oh long armed one , who gives   much more than need to every one 

All those who come to you now   are  not without honour  ,

But are   those who do not have majesty,

417.Mahabali became very happy on hearing this  ,

And asked “What can I do for you  ?’ and

Hearing that  , that Brahmin   told Mahabali

“Oh great one with great power  ,if you have,

Please give me three   feet of earth measured by my feet,

And even before   he could complete  ,

Mahabali   told  “I have given” and his teacher Shukra forbade him,

418.He told, “Oh Lord  , if we do research   this  form  appears ,

To be of an imposter  and do not take it as a dwarf form which is like cloud,

For this is   the form of Vishnu  , who swallowed   this earth and the universe,

Please know about this before taking action.”

419.Mahabali replied,” You are not speaking after   proper thought  ,

.If when my hand is above   and if his hand is below  ,

Which is not correct    to his  position  and if   this,

The  cloud like black hand  is the hand of Lord Vishnu  ,

What    can ever  be more beneficial than this.”

420. “Those great learned people always think of only good,

If without differentiating   between those who are close   and those who are not close ,

Decide   that what they have decided   to give , should go only to great ones,

And who can be more great    than this   Vamana.”

421.” You are   one with knowledge that is white and you told  as per your nature,

Those   great people   , if they are charitable by   nature ,

Would give to those who ask  , even their soul , but would not jeer.

“Getting free from others  is bad but giving   is always good.”

422.  “Those people who have lost  their souls are not those   who are dead,

But those  who   stretch their hands   to beg  to    those who have wealth are dead ones,

“Oh teacher who is like  my father  , even if one loses   his body  ,

Great  people   would always live in their mind with body of fame  ,

AS they are the people   who give to those  people  who beg  from them.”

423.:Those who do  bad acts  which scares others are  not  enemies,

Bu those who stand before those who beg     and ,

Stop the one who wants to give    from giving   are the real enemies.

There is no evil higher than that  “, he told.

424.  It  is niggardliness   to  prevent  people from doing charity ,

At the time when they are having wealth  and wanting   to   give in charity,

To those   who  request from them  and  thus perform  Dharma ,

And it has been told in books of  justice , as  a thing  to be avoided.”

425,’Oh Shukra   who lacks greatness , Is it proper for you,

To  stop the donor    from giving , what he has , to the person who wants it?

Oh cruel  person who stops  charity , your  progeny  who  depend on you,

Would  become one without food and apparel, please know this,”

426. After telling all these completely  , without being  convinced,

By words  of his teacher and minister , that  Vamana was indeed  cruel,

Mahabali told that Vamana  , “you can now measure and take ,

The three feet  of   the earth  that you want”

427.That water    of charity which had the smell of the pond,

As  soon as it touched the hands of  the one who is so dwarf,

Which stature     even his own parents did not like it  ,

To the wonderment of    all those   who were watching,

Grew  to a form almost touching the sky, like the,

Help  becoming great when it is   done    to great people

428.The feet   that was  fixed on the earth  grew  and  covered all the land,

And did not grow further   and the leg which went on growing  making the sky small,

Made the entire sky    look very small   and because there   was no space , it stopped growing.

429-430 . The feet that was in the earth measured the    entire earth by one feet,

And   since there   was no space     for the third step  , The head  of that devotee,

Himself became   the third feet ,  and Oh Rama who carries the bow   ,

That very dwarf Vamana   who wore Thulasi  garland  and ,

Who was the only lord of earth,  gave the  three worlds to Indra   to rule ,

And reached   near the   of ocean of milk and laid down on his bed there.

And those black divine feet of Lord Vishnu  , when caressed,

By Goddess Lakshmi   appeared as if it was red in colour.

431.  “Oh God   who cuts off Karma  and protects those who   suffer,

Those who see this place with love would not see   any  disease of birth cycle,

And so   I who want to carry  out this sacrifice as per Vedic rules,

Have decided that   there is no other  place except this   to do this fire sacrifice.”

432. After saying that “I would do the fire sacrifice from here “ he went,

Inside   the garden with long flowers  and collected   all materials  ,

That were  necessary     and after   requesting   those pretty princes,

To guard   the fire sacrifice , he started  performing it.

433. The sons of the  king who was protecting the earth,

Were protecting for six days, without even batting their eyes,

The fire sacrifice  that was  being done by the sage   , which is  a    great as well as  rare   job.

434. The elder one who was going  round and round,

The hall of sacrifice guarding it ,   who was like a bull asked ,

The sage who was   the one     who knew everything,

“Oh sage   who has all  good qualities that deserve praise  ,

When will  the persons whom you told   who are   supposed to do cruel deeds,

Come to this great hall of fire sacrifice .”

435.The sage   who was silent preferred not to open his mouth,

And the   lad who was an expert in warfare   saluted  the sage  and went back,

And then , when he saw the sky   he saw   the  asuras,

Who were   shouting like clouds  , which made  even the  thunder scared.

436.They shot arrows  ,  they threw spears , they  poured,

 Fire and water  , They uprooted  big mountains and  threw it,

They shouted  , they scared , They threw axes  ,

And they went on doing   several magical    tricks.

437. The bodies  of enemies  they  threw , they threw battle weapons  ,

And they like torrential rain covered     the forest  ,

Like   the sea  of   wishes rising   and hiding the sky,

And  the huge  surrounding  army  hid the entire horizon.

438.The different type of armies who came with the bows

And shining swords, came   playing the drums     with small sticks,

And made this act look like   the torrential    rain   at time of  final deluge.

439.Some of them were   with split teeth , some had bitten their mouth,

Some were having hair of the pearl red colour ,

Some had rotating eyes emitting fire   and Rama showed them to Lakshmana,

And told him, These are the people  told by   the Brahmin sage   with matted hair.

440. That younger brother   to whom Rama showed all those people  ,

Saw the sky as well as his bow   and   seeing Rama  saluted him and told,

“Oh chief of devas   you will    now see   that whatever is there ,

 Would start falling now as  the pieces   of the bodies of those people  .”

441. The lotus eyed one  thinking that   the blood and pieces of the   body of those,

Asuras    whose spear emits smoke may fall on the pure sacrificial fire  ,

Using only his arrows   made the place where   the royal sage ,

Was occupying   in to a     tent with   arrows as roofs.

442.Like the devas who sought the protection of   lord Shiva   ,

Who wears the shaking  crescent   when,

The  poison came   ebbing out   of the     great ocean,

All the great sages sought     the protection of Rama  ,

From the attack  of those very angry asuras  and told,

“Oh Rama   who is   of the black colour , protect us.”

443.Rama who showed the sign of protection to those sages ,

Told them, “do not get worried , and pulled his divine  bow  up to his ears,

And made the entire forest in to ocean of blood    and

Made a heap of Asura heads  which looked like a mountain.

444.  One of those divine arrows shot by  the consort of Goddess Lakshmi,

Making all the three worlds scared   and  attacked the two sons of Thadaga,

And put  one of them(Mareecha) in sea   and  sent the other (Subahu) to the place of God of death,.

445.That Rama who wore the garland made of the bunch of flowers,

Shot arrows   at the asuras  and covered the entire    sky within a second.

Those  Asuras telling each other that    princes may walk     on their  corpses,

And would capture  them  , ran one  behind the other.

446.Those arrows which were    sent to kill those  Asuras,

Who were running away   went and hit their target,

And their bodies without head danced ,

And even the Ghosts which had come to eat those corpses,

Sung the   glory of Rama    and flew like   group of birds on the sky.

447.The flowers     that were showered by the devas    tore  this curtain of birds ,and fell down ,

and from the sky the divine drums like Dundhubhi   made great sound like the clouds ,

Indra and other devas came there and stood crowding the sky ,

And  praised and felicitated that   pretty archer.

448. All the great sages   showered blessings as well as flowers ,

All the different type of trees in that forest rained flowers,

And that  time   that sage who completed   the fire sacrifice properly.

Became extremely happy   and told Rama  the    following words.

448.” You who have created all the worlds  and later   you,

Who protected all of them by keeping   them in your divine pretty   belly 

So that   none of them are damaged  and ,

You have now  protected   my fire  sacrifice  without   any damage  ,

So would be the thought of the world , but the luck has been mine,

But I know  that this   job done   has not been out of ordinary for you.

450.   After the sage   appreciated    him thus  , Rama stayed  with joy

In that forest with flowers  along with sages of great penance   

And when   the son of Kosala   asked   the sage    Viswamithra,

Who had   mountain like good qualities    “what is my   job for today?

Please give orders to me  “ , he started telling him.

451.”Oh lord, if I say something as a difficult job,  there is nothing difficult to you  ,

But there   is a big job   for you    and for doing that time   would come later  and so,

We will go and see   a fire sacrifice  being conducted by  Janaka  ,

Whose country is completely surrounded    by cultivated lands  ,

And so please   come  with me “ and the  three people  proceeded.

9.Ahaligai padalam

(The  chapter on Ahalya)

( Rama along with the sage enters the  pretty Mithila. Near the gate of the town they had a strange experience  in giving  redemption to Ahalya.  Ahalya    was created as the most pretty lady by Brahma and given to sage Gautama  in marriage. Indra   fell in love with her.  So when the sage was away he came to his hermitage he made love to Ahalya.  She too realized that it was not her husband but permitted it. Sage Gautama came back , caught them red handed and cursed that Indra should have 1000  woman’s private parts on his body and Ahalya would become a stone. When Rama  was walking that way  , the dust of his feet touched that stone and she regained her form.  Sage Viswamithra took  Ahalya to the hermitage  of sage Gautama and  reunited Ahalya with him.  Then they proceeded to MIthila , the capital of king Janaka.

    In Valmiki Ramayanam  , sage Gautama curses   that  Indra should loose his testicles and Ahalya    would become invisible   and  be in her house . Rama enters her hermitage and she regains her original   form.  The devas attach a testicle of a Ram to Indra.  When Ahalya regains her form, sage Gautama comes there  and gets reunited with her.)

 

452. They reached   the river Sona   which had   sand dunes ,

Which are washed   by best  of gems and sandal   and Akil,

Which had breasts     which wore  ornaments giving great joy,

Which     had thin waist resembling the climbing plants of Vanchi Nadu,

Which wears   Mekala , the belt like ornament  , which has black  sand looking like haris,

And which had canals  going round the hill   as its anklets  going round its legs,

453.When they all reached the river Sona   ,  the sun which had thousand rays ,

Thinking that  till  it would rise the next day  ,  and  provide  cool atmosphere for them,

And to Reduce its normal     boiling nature giving heat , went  more speedily  ,

Than the eyes   of his charioteer Aruna   and   along ,

With the horses drawing his chariot    bathed in the sea,

454. The  scented  lotus flowers  with long stem  ,

Which had only  opened on that  same day,

 Which grow    in the   water bodies     with cool water ,

Which are the temples of Dharma giving charity     became  closed   and

Going away    from that attractive  forest of lotus flowers 

The  male bees    which become happy   on drinking honey  during day

Went  away  to  search   and settle down   with female bees    for night.

And in one of those   gardens they settled for   night.

455. The Sun who  was having  large number  of rays .

 After  removing   the  dark black colour of the night  ,

 Along with his chariot   started    from the blue sea ,

And looked like    the huge  lotus flower   and ,

Appeared as if it  had risen      from the belly   of Vishnu  along with Brahma.

456.Those three who were  like   trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,

Departing from there reached a river   which   drags    the yellow,

Ixora flowers along with honey   from the forest like matted hair,

Of Lord Shiva    who rides   on the red eyed bull and also keeps  him in his flag,

Which was similar to the golden Cauvery   and which was  called Ganga

Which was pretty  , great and lashing on both its shores.

457.The good crane which has   just woken up from sleep  in the lotus forest,

Those former girls   who were plucking weeds    from  water filled fields,

With shining eyes , which the cranes thought    were fish and plucked by their nose,

But later  they felt ashamed and such  was the  cultivable lands  of Mithila ,

And    the three  people lead by   sage Viswamithra   reached there.

458.In the gardens of that    country  , where huge water storages   give out the   sound of drum,

With Asoka trees   giving out new flowers daily   which appeared like  lamps   held by the tree,

With bees singing  in the Yaazh  of good flowers,

From where honey drips looking  like a  srting  of the Yaazh,

 The     peacocks      were   dancing    in these gardens.

459.When in  those fields, using their  sight  as emissary  and wishing to join with their lovers ,

Who are wandering  here and there  ,   was    sent   by  the ladies with lustrous     forehead 

Making the minds of the ladies    hate    the cultivators in the fields,

Who throw the  weeds of the blue lily plants  which look like   eyes,    on the round pretty  lotus  flowers

 Making those ladies think that   some other ladies  were  looking at their lover   and become sad.

460.In that land   , the swans   which are in the water storages ,

After seeing the  pretty walk of the ladies there   ,

Under the impression they are their mates    follow  them.

IN the cold water   after   ladies  with nightingale   like  voice   take their bath,

Making    birds   come in to contact with  the Kumkum  left by them,

Those outside fight with them, thinking    they are some other birds,

Leading the birds not to sleep even though lotus   flowers  sleep.

461.  In the rivers    of that country   apart from   clear cool water  flowing,

The milk   from  the udder   of  the buffaloes which  follow each other 

The juice of mango fruits fallen from the tall growing mango trees on both banks,

The  juice of cut sugar cane   which turn like nectar   when shaken in the factories,

And the honey   from the  broken bee hives  also flow.

462.  In the dancing stage where ladies   who have   waist as thin as a   cotton thread  ,

Bending backward due   their mountain  peak like   breasts  and their  rain drop like cool eyes danced,

When  the players of drums   were  playing their big drums  loudly,

Hearing that   pretty music   the big young bullocks     run greatly scared

And go and   mix the water in the streams with their    horns ,

The fish in those  streams get   very scared   and jump   on ,

The leaf sheaths of betel nut tree     growing   on its shores.

464. When the ladies of that country    put their sword like eyes,

In those   sword case like eye lids  and close them  tightly  ,

And take bath in    widely standing water bodies  ,

And rise from there   after taking a dip  , they look like  Goddess Lakshmi,

Rising up    from the ocean   of milk   when it was churned ,

And those ladies   along with   their densely worn bangles  ,

Again sink in the water   creating sound of their   bangles,

The bees  bore  in to the   flowers   and drink honey from that.

 464.After   reaching such a great country of Mithila   with joy,

They stayed   outside   the boundary walls    with many flags,

There they saw   the big hill   and over that a granite stone  ,

Which was    the wife of great sage Gauthama   ,

Who was cursed  due to her   losing   her virtue,

Which is against the proper tenets  of family  life.

465.When the  feet of Rama  belonging to the Kakustha clan,

Touched that stone  , like the one    who  got  true wisdom,

Was   removed    from  the darkness   of the mind affected  by ignorance,

And   as a result got his real true form  and joined with the feet of God,

That Ahalya   got back her old form    and    stood   there,

And sage Viswamithra who saw it  , told Rama  like this.

466.Oh son who was  born in the family of king who brought  river Ganges    from   the sky,

She who is standing with great joy    and  with shyness   , who is  like a    streak of lightning,

Is  Ahalya , the wife of Gautama   who gave one thousand red eyes  ,

To the king of Devas  who made love another’s wife    willingly.

467.When Rama , who is the lord of earth heard this from   the one with golden matted hair ,

Asked, “What is the nature of this event ? How did this happen ?How did it end?

“Did it happen   due to Karma done in previous birth?Is there  some reason for it to happen?

Please tell me how this   happened    to this lady who is looking like  my mother.

468. When  Rama told these words , seeing at him that    sage   told,

“Oh Rama who has all good qualities, please hear .Once upon a time  ,

Lord Indra who had  the lustrous weapon called Vajrayudha  ,

Wanted  to  join with the   pretty breasts  of the doe eyed lady Ahalya ,

When  the great sage  who did not have  qualities  like jealousy  ,

Was not there    in  his   hermitage.”

469. Due to  the spear  like eyes of the lady   and  the   arrows of Love  god   hitting him

 Indra started   searching    for a method  to love her  and one day,

Due to the great love  , he lost his brain   and he made   that great sage,

With a mind without deceit  Go away from there ,

Took the form of the sage    and entered his hermitage.

470.When he entered there   and when both of them were enjoying  ,

The  fresh scented   honey like   love play  , she realized her mistake,

And after wards though realizing  that act  ,  which was like new honey  was not  proper ,
And when she was continuing   it with full consent,

That very able sage  who was  in no way less angry than Lord Shiva  with three eyes,

 Very speedily   came   back to his   hermitage.

471. By the time  that sage Gautama, who has  capacity to give boons  as   well as ,

Capable of cursing which was unlike arrows   which can be stopped,

Reached his hermitage  , that lady who had  earned  a bad name,

Which will stand in the world  permenantly  for all time to come,

Stood there   greatly nervous    due to great fear  and the shivering Indra,

Started   his efforts    to  go away   from there.

472.  That sage who had a  very clean mind  , getting angry , spitting fire   from his eyes,

And  understanding about the sinful act done by both of them  ,

In words   which were   hot like the arrows leaving your bow ,

Told Indra, “let you have   thousand private part of women in your body”,

And within no  time  all those thousand  came  and joined the body of Indra.

473.That Indra  became  matchlessly ashamed  due to that  in his body,

Which made others laugh at him   went back to heaven  and then the sage,

Seeing that tender lady   and  cursed her too,”You please become a stone  like the courtesan,

And she immediately became a black stone and has been lying here ever since.”

 474.That lady while becoming a stone told the sage  ,

“Oh god like  sage who showers      fire   from his eyes,

 It is told that  to excuse the fault of   younger ones   is the duty of elder ones,

 And so please tell me how this great curse    will end in me,

And that sage who wears a flower garland frequented by bees told,

When the dust of the feet of one called Dasaratha Rama falls on you ,

You would get rid of the form of stone  and become your normal self,”

475.  Viswamithra continued  and told , “this is what  ,happened earlier

From now on  , all the beings of the world would get rid of all sorrow only,

As they should not suffer any more sorrow  , Oh Lord of    the colour of the cloud ,

While coming , when you killed    the black Rakshasi  in war, I saw greatness of your hand,

And here   in this place     I saw the greatness    of your feet.”

476.That black Rama   who has  provided   Ahalya   help without evil,

After hearing and understanding  all that was told   by Viswamithra,

Told Ahalya, “Oh mother  , to get  the mercy of the saint with great penance  ,

You serve him   and do not be sad, thinking about what happened in the middle ,”

And Ahalya    after saluting the golden feet of Rama   went away.

477-478. .When all of them reached the hermitage of Gautama    of very great penance,

That sage who was greatly surprised   to see his guests , hospitably received them,

And  treated without any shortcoming  of  hospitality  and then  Viswamithra  ,

Who was the son of Gadhi told him, “as soon as the  dust of  the feet   of this black coloured Rama touched

That lady with a climbing plant like waist   regained her old form  and stood up,

Please call her    who has not done a  sin willfully   “and  sage Gautama,

Who was similar to Lord Brahma born out of lotus , consented to this.

479. That charitable Rama  who was great in all the good    qualities,

Saluted the lotus like feet of Gautama  , went round him  clockwise,

And  entrusted   that lady with great virtuous character  in his hand,

And immediately   along with Viswamithra of great penance  ,

Came out of that   garden with scent of flowers 

And all of them saw the outer gem studded  boundary wall of   Mithila.

10.Mithilai Kakshi Padalam

The chapter  on looks of MIthila

(Rama and Viswamithra enter the town of MIthila. A picturesque description    of the town is then given. Sita  who was playing in the  “maiden mansion” , saw Rama and he also saw her. Both of them fall in love with each other  .There is a lucid description of  the love sickness  of Sita.  Rama and Viswamithra  go to the sacrificial hall of king Janaka.  Rama is introduced to Sadananda,   the son of Ahalya and Guru of king Janaka. That night Sadananda tells Rama   about the story of sage Viswamithra.  That night Rama is affected by love sickness for Sita. Next day they go  to  the palace of Janaka. When Janaka starts enquiring about Rama, Viswamithra starts  telling about him.

   In Valmiki Ramayana,  the description of MIthila is very short . Rama and Sita do not see each other. Sadananda indeed tells the story of sage Viswamithra to Rama.   The description of love sickness of Sita is very exhaustive and follows the normal tradition of    older Tamil literature.)

480. That city which  was well guarded was saying ,” That goddess Lakshmi,

Due to the great penance I did has left her lotus flower   and  has come,

And living within me “ waving her hand like   gem studded   flags

And it appeared to them  as  calling   that lotus   eyed one, “come quickly.”

481.All the three of them saw   those gem studded   flowers  on the top,

Of the great mansions of the town  , which appeared to them as if   they were with waving  with joy,

On the sky   and telling,  “Since no one once has  the  suitability   to marry sita,

AS per the invitation of the God of Dharma ,   Rama is coming here  ,

To marry Sita   of matchless   beauty “ and it appeared  that the divine damsels were  dancing in the sky.

482. They saw   that sun of the day was  setting   and the sky was    appearing like ocean of milk,

And on the terraces of the mansion   of the MIthila city  ,

 When the long flags   there while waving touched the clouds   and became wet because of   that   and  ,

They were getting dry by the cloud like   smoke from Akil   and were waving again.

483.  Interested in drawing and dipping the painting brush    in nectar ,

And later   getting perplexed thinking, “how to draw her   pretty form?”

The love God  himself thought that  it was impossible to draw her pretty form

And the city which was having her resembled    the lotus flower  in which Goddess Lakshmi sat.

And all the three  of them entered such a city   which had golden walls.

484. Like The dried up sea  after  the great sage who  was a great  artist with words drank it,

And which   is seen as  one  strewn with very many shining gems 

Like    The sky with has  large number of  shining stars in dense formation,

The avenues of the town  were  shining with strewn  gold   ornaments ,

Which were thrown by ladies with crescent shaped foreheads  and men,

And in to  these shining streets   those   three  people walked.

485,Due to showering of water of rut by mountain like elephants  ,

Who are capable of breaking the goad    runs like a  black  river ,

And the white foam  of  the mouth   of strapped   horses,

Fall in that river and make   it  in to a white river,

And due to chariots  which are  running   without break  ,

Making    the mud slushy  and again due  further  running  of chariots,

The slushy land becomes dusty   and thus  the streets  ,

Are  not similar   at any time  and in such a street those  three walked.

486. The  lad and the lass   being similar without break  making deep love ,

And after enjoying it together  , when the tender girls are lying tired in the    war of love making 

And the flower garlands thrown by  them who speak words which are like  music in the lovers tiff ,

Along with  bees  had fallen down on the streets  and  were .

Dripping honey in such  streets and they were walking through them.

487.They heard   songs being sung in baby’s lisp which was like the honey like sound of Yaazh,

Also songs  sung in Makara Veena   which is played by caressing    the strings  by the hands,

As well as sound of drums, which were   all   being heard  together one after one,

And saw   dances   where the eyes of the dancers were following the signs showed  by hands,

With their mind going after that by   Ladies with waists , whose existence is in doubt  on golden stages.

488.They also saw  swings tied  in  arecanut trees whose bearing ,

Comes and goes like   the guilty  people  ,Which bear  pearl like  red fruits

 And  were   green like   emerald, over which    the ladies were swinging ,

And due to its movement    the bees which rose  up   with great noise,

And their waist unable to bear   this were  crying out loud,

And those ladies   at  that time where thinking  of their lovers.

489.For building field dividers for fields   to control water ,

The farmers   had  heaped  limitless       gems  ,gold,and pearls,

The  tail of musk deer  , the Akil pieces which are available in forests ,

As well as peacock  feathers  and   tusks of elephants ,

Which  lie scattered   all over the banks  of river  which was like Cauvery,

And they also    had   very large   number   of shops.

490.  They heard   by their ears  and  enjoyed  the  songs  accompanied  by music,

Raised by their ladies who with  the thin fingers  with sharp   nails,

Who  tightened    the knobs   of  Veena   and  also  tightly hugging    the strings  ,

And along with  imprint of their   hands also imprinting the mind,

With a smiling face   which was like  serving  very good  and tasty food.

491.They saw    well  bred natural  horses  with halters   and which were running  ,

Like  the rotated wheel  for making pots  made   to rotate by the potter,

Round and round   and like great  people   never allow a split to come  in between their friendship  and like the  mind of philosophers  not deviating from their aim.,

And which cannot be guessed    about the type it  can classified to.

492. They saw The  elephants   with  white  tusks as hard as diamond,

Become very angry with each other,

When the arrow of love God strikes and  

After having love tiff  like the churner  of curd,

When they   were getting engaged in love making   like   

Very intimate lovers who are like soul of each other ,

With  eyes becoming deep red and were fighting

Like  a mountain with another   mountain.

493.They saw the rise of several moons   through   the windows,

On the   gem studded    terrace   of those several mansions  ,

With spear like eyes , with love arrows  of the God of love,

With hair like the   blue black colour of the bee ,

With bright   red lips   and  who have   removed t he problem of appearing only    at night.

494.They also saw many  ladies with lotus like faces ,

Who were exhibiting love tiff , like one exhibits ,

The effect of   wine    which has    the fresh smell,

Taken in a crystal cup   and having   the meaningless laugh,

Due to it   and also  meaningless prattling,

Which even if they want , they cannot hide.

495.The mind of the   prostitutes who make love to the men,

And take money   for it   and who have private parts,

Resembling the hood of the black snake   is like crystal,

Which looks black when the black eyes of damsels   fall on it,

And would   look red   when they take them in their red hands,

And they saw similar  balls   which were being played  by those damsels.

496. They also saw    the sports  arena   of   the long  spear eyed ladies,

Who were wearing bangles , ear studs  and several other  ornaments,

Wearing the costly upper  cloths of Kalinga made  with thin threads  ,

Who were   decorating their pretty hair  with scented garlands  and make it grow,

Who were keeping as wager  the Makara Yaazh  and were moving  ,

With their reds hands   the coins which resembled a dog

497.Lotus flowers    , black lily  which are  not comparable to the faces  of  ladies,

Red lilys not comparable to their mouth ,

The leaves of Climb plant vallai     not comparable to their  ears ,

The waves not comparable to the folds of  their belly   and Varal fish not comparable  to their calves,

Blue lotus not comparable to their hair  , Chengidai not comparable to their lips,

Were all sad but made themselves  comparable to   different parts,

Of the pretty body of those damsels who were  taking bath in the lakes , and were seen by them.

498,With the five sense organs   which get attracted dragging them to different directions,

And going along with them   and having lost their  senses  and    wandering here and there,

Having applied    the mixture of  scented pastes and  with scars  on their hand

Made  when they tightly  Embrace  the  breasts of ladies

 And the wealth   and wisdom not going away from their shoulders,

The many   heroic men were playing with    rolling dices and were seen by   them.

499. They also saw   many young lads   who appeared to be angry  ,

Who   were feeling the pain of having born on this earth,

Who have merciful heart giving away things requested from them,

Who were like love God  but  cannot be ever burnt by fire,

Who were having   red hands    holding the bow ,

And who had red hairs because they were  able to solve the love tiffs of ladies,

Due to their   falling at the feet   of those ladies with   red painted feet.

500. They also saw gardens  with ladies who  speak with words  like sugar syrup,

With pretty parrots  and make the divine ladies become shy due to their prettiness,

Who had     hair like  that of peacock feathers  ,

Who were comparable   to the  bunch of flowers due to their tender nature   ,

Who defeated  the swans by the beauty of their walk  and  made those swans follow them,

 And seeing that the bees of the garden   were greatly shouting with happiness

501.They then saw   the  moat  as deep as the river Ganges from which water was ebbing out  ;

Inside the city surrounding    the  golden palace   of Janaka who has a very great army  ,

Which was  like a  shadow of those mansions in which   Indra and other devas live ,

And was   showing the very pretty nature   of those    homes in heaven.

502. Then they stood at the place where they saw ,

On  the terrace of a mansion in which maids live ,

Where the male swans were playing  and prattling with female swans

A form of a girl   with the cluster of gold  and   the scent of flowers ,

With the sweet taste of honey dripping down from bees  ,

And with the pleasure of a poem built with very proper words .

503. That girl  who had come  could only be compared   to Goddess Lakshmi  ,

Who had   the  best of every part    of every lady   who had been created

AS told by Lord Brahma sitting on the lotus and every being on earth,

And  How can  they   or any one use   any other comparison to her.

504. Seeing her , all ladies who were comparable   to Goddess Parvathi,

Saluted her    with   hands raised   over their heads as she,

Was blessed with good qualities   like patience  , and

Not able to see the other shore of her beauty  , the humans,

Were sad that they did not get    eyes that  never blink,

And devas whose eyes never blink were also sad,

Because    they felt that her beauty cannot be measured  by mere two eyes.

505.After defeating the looks of a deer  .

With flower decorated spear   and the killing sword retreating    on seeing her eyes,

With the Kayal fishes suitable to compare  standing behind,

That Sita with roving eyes was like   the nectar   that   came out ,

Even in those   days when the sea   was  churned using a mountain.

506.Would  it be possible     for Lord Brahma   to create ,

Another girl like her , even if  all devas   gather together and request ,

“Please create a girl   who is comparable  to this girl  with honey like words”,

And even if   those devas who do   not  eat anything except nectar ,

Go near the sea  which is the home of gems   and request it ,

That sea can again   possibly   give them nectar and not a girl like her?

507.  Menaka and other divine ladies who are liked   by  indra who rules  over the divine world,

Who had lustrous eyes  after seeing her form, understanding that   if all other  beauty ,

Were  to join together  , it would not be equal to her beauty and getting nervous,

Were having a faded down face like the  day time moon,

But she had  a face  like full moon   which did not differentiate  between day and night.

508. Is it because  the Brahmins  who are  innumerable  observed penance  ,

So that their   body has undergone sufferings  so that this lady had decided,

To come leaving her lotus    to live on this earth.

Or is it  the God of dharma or  this earth   or the  heavens  ,

Or is it    the world of devas  ? we are not able to know which?

509.Many   friends who were  , who do not have any one comparable to them,

Addressing her  as , Oh deer  who has hands soft  like   the red tender leaves,

Oh  mother  ,Oh honey  , Oh difficult to get nectar  and saluted her feet,

Walked in front  filling up the path with flowers  , and she  ,

Was walking  on those flowers     which were coated   with pollen.

510.Several of her   friends, who were wearing   golden anklets on their  thin legs

Wearing gem studded  garlands, flower    garlands  , wearing  waist belt,

And   who were looking like creeping flowering plants   were ,

Staring  at the beauty of Sita who was with them  .

Lighting   that place like one hundred  crore   streaks of lightning  ,

And who    was  looking the king   of   all lightning.

511.Sita had eyes that   will defeat   The killing spear,and  the god of death 

Which  are filled with joy   and that    was something none can describe,

And  that  Sita who was a fruit   taking human form   which was capable of melting,

Huge hills  . small walls ,  big stones  , and small grass, was standing there.

512. That Sita  was giving extreme joy to all those ladies  who see her  by their eyes

Who were themselves  looking like a festival to the eyes  of Gents who sees them,

And that  Sita  was like a nectar to all those   ladies ,

And so how will she look like  to Rama, who was the lord of us all?

513.Though the ear ornaments    and garlands   had been there

Before the birth of Sita    in this earth   and had  ,  

Moved with ladies who have    cool eyes like that  of rain,

Because this Sita was born , they who make  others pretty became more pretty.

514. When that Sita who was more prettier than  any one’s concept of beauty,

Was standing there,  her eyes and that of Rama dragged each other,

And each of  their eyes wanted to steal the   other and eat  it,

And due to this  both their consciousness     became  one single one,

And he saw her   and she   also saw him.

515.The sight that Sita saw  with her eyes became,

Two sharp spears   and pierced the shoulders of  that strong one,

And the sight of that  red eyed   Rama who wore Hero’s anklets ,

Went and pierced the two breasts  of that girl  who hurts  others by her beauty..

516.Since   their sights which drank each other  ,

Tied each other  and was dragging  each other’s hearts,

That Rama with a strong bow  and Sita with sword  like eyes.

Pierced each others heart    and stayed there.

517. That lady with no waist(thin waist)   and that Rama without any fault,

Became a single soul along  their two bodies ,

If  they   who had parted with each other ,

On the  floating bed  in the ocean of milk,

Meet with each other in one place , Is there a need to talk?

518.Those eyes without an end  went on  seeing him 

And since they were not closing ,

Sita who was wearing  gold ornaments,

 Stood immobile  like  the lady in a picture,.

Rama who was followed by  thought  about her,

Went forward   along   with the sage ,

Till he vanished from sight of Sita.

519. When Rama who was   wearing scented garlands  ,

Vanished from  her sight   and though   her mind  ,

Which was like an elephant in rut which made the very strong  Goad straight  ,

But  that Sita who had a crescent like   forehead  was stopped,

By    her qualities    which were lady like.

520.When the thought of love   came strongly  ,

Her mind and body   became thin like her  waist,

And through her   black long eyes , the sickness  of love ,

Just like a drop of curd in the  milk , spread all over her body.

521.Though she was suffering from the disease of love ,

Since she was not able to tell it, she   was weeping,

Within her mind   like a dumb girl  and then the God of love,

Shot  an arrow in to her mind   , which was  like  ,

Putting one more piece of wood  in to  a raging fire.

522.That Sita   whose eyes   went near to her ears

 Which   were wearing a lustrous ear stud ,

And which were like   a spear not burnt in fire ,

With her disheveled  hair  and loose dress ,

Faded like a  climbing plant put  in fire.

523.That Sita who  had the  waist bels slipping,

Who had lost her mental strength  and conch bangles,

Who had  faded mind and  wisdom   as well as ,

The colour of her body    due to that love sickness.

Was like the ocean which lost   everything  ,

When the devas    churned it by a mountain.

524. When her ornaments loosened,  her shyness deserted her ,

When her beauty changes and when she was hit  on her breasts  by arrows of love  ,

And was suffering   like a deer hit by the arrow of the hunter,

And when she standing jaded like this  , her friends  took that  Sita

Who had a colour of a peacock  and was wearing ear studs , with great difficulty.

525.Those friends     and   took Sita , who was  wearing ear globes in her ears,

Whose eyes move like the Khayal fish   and   hand and feet which were  like new leaves,

To a  bed of flowers   over which  cold snow has been sprinkled along with  tincture of flowers.

526,When Sita was made to lie down on a bed   of flowers  that had just opened  

Faded  like    the lotus flowers growing densely   in a lake  ,

Got faded  by the rain of snow  , which was  white like silk   cotton flowers,

And   like the fading of the moon when it was swallowed by a snake.

527.The sweat   which formed in  the edge   of her eye brows dried immediately

Due to her  tortured breath   which gave out  heat like  a Black smith’s  klin,

And  her pearl like  tears   from her very long eyes   fell on

 The top of   her breasts   like   the   rain falling   on the mountain top .

528, She  fell like the peacock  which fell  ,

As a result of the arrow sent   by a hunter in the forest,

Of a   very  a cruel mind   which never gets disturbed ,

And  due to her  mind  which was burning    due to  the fire of love ,

She fell like a burnt   flower branch   on that flower bed.

529.The flowers that were spread on that flower bed  ,

Appeared to her like  sharp thorns     and hurt her body,

The sandal paste on her  body    which got  dried due to,

The heat    of her   the fire of love   fell like fire sparks 

That   burning fire  within her  also burnt   the thread ,

Of her ornaments   and the flowers  in the bed dried..

530.Her servants , the foster mothers, five type of mothers,

And those   who were like sister    for her  became  very sad,

Due to  disease of Sita   and became   mentally upset ,

Because they were  not able  to understand  the nature of the  illness,

In spite of deep thought  , brought water with many flowers,

And rotated in front of her   so that evil eye  would be cured.

531, Due to  air of  the waving   of that  big fan   by  her friends,

The fire within her   burnt with more vigour ,

The ornaments   and flower garlands started   drying  and scalding

And this made her   like  an idol made   of gold  .

532. She will tell Rama’s hair is a flower garland  made of darkness,

And his   two shoulders are  two great and big pillars or

Two mountains  which are made of emerald stone ,

And  his eyes are red lotus flowers and he is  a cloud,

Which came  from the sky   with the bow of Indra(lightning)

533.He has   entered my  dense mind   and  also destroyed,

The determination of my mind   and my  feminine  qualities,

But on his     mountain like shoulders  he  does not ,

Seem to carry a   bow of sugarcane and so he  is not god of  love.

534.On thinking about  it,   he is    not one  belonging to the land of devas.

As he  is like the scented lotus   and also blinks   his eye,

He carries a huge well made bow  and wears a sacred thread,

And considering his age  , he looks like  only a son of a king.

535.After seeing him I am not able to see   in me ,

My feminine nature , the shyness that was born with me  ,

And  the  wisdom of my  mind and that young lad,

Who walked on the  path of mud , looks like a thief,

Who  can enter  in to my mind through my eyes.

536. His  black hair  is  like the gem Indra neela,

His  face  is like full moon and his  hands   hanging  up to knee,

And his great shoulders did not  steal my soul,

But  it was his smile that  first attracted me.

537.Not only his   broad chest  which was lustrous,

And g his  great feet which were  like  lotus flowers,

But also his gait which was like that   of an elephant,

From whose face the water of rut    was ebbing out ,

Entered in to my mind     and got    fixed there.

538. Would it be possible for  me to at least  see  once that lad,

Who destroyed the security   wall   of my virginity* ,

Which was  born along with me   and is a machine,

Attached   to the wall of  hall of virgins where  I roam,

And understand about him   and then die? Please tell.

            * prevents entry of males in to the mind

539.When Sita was telling this   and many other such things  to her mind,

She  told herself, “Here stands the valorous one whom I saw  earlier.”

Then she will say, “Now he has gone away”  and like this,

Her love sick mind   was  suffering   due to these thoughts of passion.

540.The  hot  sun feeling that the fire of love   which   was burning,

Sita who had a swan like gait   was rising up and heating him also,

And not able to bear it   which   made his   long arms  shiver,

Ran and    dipped himself  in to the ocean.

541. The breeze which blew increasing her love sickness ,

Made   Sita, the rare maid  see  ,  the red sky at dusk and the  black dark night,

 As the god of death with red hair   and black colour,

Due to   that dusk  which  heats up   the feelings of love

542.  The   sound of birds that was coming from the top,

The   sound from the sea which was like the sound of anklets,

And the blood coloured sky   and the darkness  of the night,

Which was like the black dress   increased   the  love  suffering of Sita,

And it was only proper to call it   the Sadhakas(great  goddess  devotees)

543 Along With ponds  becoming dry due to fire  , With scented flowers being coated by poison,

The breeze was  strolling like a spear   and the arrows    sent by God of love  ,

Entered   deep  in to the already existing   wounds  of love    and due to that,

The good wisdom as well as  the feminine characteristics  have been destroyed in case of Sita,

 And she   seeing the evening time which had come   to take   away her soul,

Was greatly scared   thinking  that  this was the real form of god of death.

544.  When Sita     was greatly   suffering  and when  she was thinking  ,

“Is this ocean  , is it rain  , Is it  big blue stone  , Is  it the scented flower of never fading  plant,

Is it the scented flower of Karum kuvalai  plant  ? Is it the blue lotus.

Is it the flower  of Karu neithal plant   , I do not know which of them,

Would give maximum  trouble to  young girls   and take away their life?”

Then   very strong Rakshasa  like Black  late evening  came before her.”

545.”Oh serpent   who is of the colour of black colour spreading in the sky,

Who has stars as its   poisonous teeth  , the deep breath of hot air  ,

And The red sky as its   poisonous fang, Why are you surrounding me?

Why  are you inimical to me and give me sorrow? Already the god of love ,

Who shoots arrows at me , without getting any tiresomeness in his hand,

Never leaves the shooting of arrows?  Since I have only one soul,

And , there is nothing  with me for you to steal if he snatches it away from me .

When I am trying to save myself  from that God of love .

Why are you unnecessarily   attacking me to take away my life?”

546,”Has  the sorrow   taken the form of darkness  , matured further   and,

Has   the great Halahala   poison spread all over the world,, after emerging from sea?

Has the black ocean rise   out  and come out? Or is it  that whoever thinks of the colour  ,

Of the great one ,  they get the colour    which   spreads     everywhere?

Is it that the black colour of  god of death  that  has been further  mixed with black paste  ,

And applied all over    the   earth   and the entire sky?”

547. “Oh bird   My lord just made appearance before my eyes  and suddenly vanished,

And I did not see any one  to help me    to stop him, and hey without  pitying on me,

Thinking that I am a simple girl ,   he did not take   any   mercy on   me?

Was this deception taught to you by God of love  who was    hiding ,

In the darkness of night     and  shooting his arrows of love on me?

 Or  is it due to the   sins committed  by this simple girl in previous birth?

And    has that sin come   in the form of  darkness  to haunt me?”

548,When at that place when she thinking    about such things   was greatly suffering,

In the big mansion of maids   , which was touching    the broad sky by its height,

On the platform made by the cool moon stone  , thinking   that,

The long lamps   with big flame would produce more heat and make her suffer,

The   friends of Sita removed all such lamps   and brought the lamps,

With gems  and made the night in that place    in to  the day time.

549.When   the great    strong Lord Vishnu  .made the Mandhara mountain in to a churner  

And started churning it  using the snake as the  rope  ,  for the sake    of the devas

Several drops of milk   as well as gems  fell out and later  the golden pot of nectar 

 Which was more lustrous than the stars  rose out, similar to rising of moon from black sea.

550. Long time ago  , lying on a banyan leaf   , acting as if  he was very angry  ,

Lord Vishnu ate all the worlds  and the sea   and when  the  sea of the belly,

 Flowered from there   and with bees chanting   Vedas, a flower  was produced  ,

On which  sat   Brahma   and  similarly  the moon rose  from the  sea ,

And it looked like    another   white  lotus  flower flowered from the sea.

551.  When in the sky   where the shining stars  which looks like  dots in the  sky,

The moon light which   eats away the   darkness accumulated at  night,

 Has spread  the leaf sheath of  young arecanut tree  kept beside  the silver  pot  on the east,

And we do not know how this will turn out to Sita   who talks sweetly like a bird.

552.The lustrous evening spreading his hands  , with an intention   of ,

Eating away the  darkness of the entire world   and   moon light  ,

Which spread   as soon as the cool moon arose in the sky,

Like the spread of   the fame of  the philanthropist  Chadayan*,

Which has spread in the earth and sky and in all directions  ,

Making his own    all the fields   which are irrigated.

       *the philanthropist from THiruvennainallur

553. It was like the  extremely  white moon who is an architect  who arose   from the water of the sea

Seeing   that the world which was made by  Lord Vishnu on the   flower that arose   ,

From his belly button   has become very old  , spreading his rays which are his hands,

And using the white paint of his moon light   has  painted it and made it new.

554.When that moon   who was like the big scented lotus flower   came to  him as per its wish,

Along with  Goddess Lakshmi  , and  when  the lotus flowers closed making the bees go away ,

The red lily flowers   noticing that the king   who   looks after   the world with his scepter has gone,

 Started    to show  off themselves   like   the small kings  who  was waiting for suitable time.

555.Oh white coloured   burning coal  , who forms in the midst of the black  growing burning   coal,

Which   is the personification    of darkness    that has stolen the   entire world,

Having been defeated  by  that great one who creates the permanent illusion,

By his colour , why are you being cruel to me   as  well as the ocean which is outside.

556.Oh moon who rose from the sea, by nature you are not cruel,

As you   are not killing any one   and you were   born along with,

The faultless  nectar  and along with a damsel with a she elephant’s gait,

And such being the case , it is  not  proper for you to burn me.

557.Because   the rays of the moon   which raises in the sky,

Beats me on her very tender  breasts ,  like a  whip  ,

That  female swan ,felt as if she was caught  in a cruel raging fire,

 And went on rolling   on the bed   which was full of lotus  flowers.

558.Due to moon light which never left   and spread everywhere,

Hurting her  , Sita got scalded , cooked   and fell down,

And the lotus flowers in which she  used to live were made as her bed,

And due to the heat of love in her body , even those flowers got wilted.

559.That  Sita who had tender   breasts  ,suffered with a burning   body,

When her friends   applied large quantity  of sandal paste   with other cooling pastes,

And when she was fanned by huge fans   , her body became more hot ,

Is there any  medicine to cure the  illness caused by love?

560.When due to the fire of love  , her body was burning  ,

Even the beds made by flowers , pollen as well as very tender leaves,

Start  getting burning up  , her friends who loved her more than her mother,

Brought two thousand beds   and   went on stacking them on each other.

561. We  have seen how   the female swan like Sita   ,

Who was in the home for maids   suffered on the flower beds,

And now we will say as to what happened     to Rama,

Who has seen her body which resembled rays of lightning.

562.When all of them (Rama and others)   went and saw the king Janaka,

He with great joy received them by coming out ,

And took them  to a mansion which was touching the sky ,

In that land of pleasures which was like the golden town of Indra.

563.Sage Sadananda who was the son of Ahalya  ,

Who has assumed her original form  due to  the dust,

From the lotus like feet of Rama  who was valorous and faultless

Came to see them and  he looked as if all the great penances  ,

Have taken a form   of good character  and came walking.

564.Rama , the very charitable one received that sage    with great respect ,

And with great joy   and  saluted him. Then that sage  ,

Who had matchless good qualities blessed Rama ,

And went and reached near sage Viswamithra.

565.That great sage    who  was the son of sage Gowthama,

Seeing the face of Viswamithra of great penance   told,

“What  is the great penance  that has been done by this great city.”

566.Seeing the face  of   great Sadananda, Who was equal to the lord,

With the seat of the cool lotus flower(Brahma)   and

Who has friendship with every one  as also has done great penance,

Viswamithra     who is the master   of all arts   told like this.

567.”Oh Great sage of very great penance , please hear,

This charitable Rama has killed the Thadaga who had a voice like thunder,

And protected my  fire sacrifice   and also lifted  the curse,

That had befallen  on your mother one by one and,

He has thus    removed   all the sorrows that I had.”

568.As soon  as sage Viswamithra   told like this,

That great sage   got limitless joy   and told,

“Oh sage of great penance , due to your  grace ,

Which   os there  on these  lads  now  ,  What   job is impossible,

For this   very valorous Rama  “ and further he told.

569-570. Seeing that moon faced Charitable Rama  ,

Whose body was comparable   to  the

Incomparable non fading flowers  , Blue gem stone,

The slushy ocean  ,  crowds of clouds,

And the  Blue lotus   flowers with open flowers  , he told,

“Oh Lord who wears   the garland made   of scented flowers,

I shall tell you  an important news, This  sage  Viswamithra  ,

Was king of a kingdom earlier , which he ruled  for several years,

 As  per the rule of law   and with mercy to all beings.”

571. “When he was ruling his country as per dharma,

He happened to go to the forest for hunting    in to dense forests ,

And reached    the hermitage  of Sage   Vasishta of great  penance 

Who is praised     and worshipped    by every one.”

572.That consort of Arundathi   treated    this sage Koushika  ,

In a very hospitable manner by  looking after all his wants 

And requested him,Please  stay here    and then go.”

And when Koushika agreed to that  and Vasishta told him,

“I would treat  you all with a feast  “ and then he called the cow Surabhi,

And told her, “You yourself produce   nectar like food and give them,”

And That Surabhi as  per the words of Vasishta   produced ,

All that was necessary and  gave them all   a great feast.

573.  Then Vasishta addressing  king Kausiga    told,

“Oh king share   this feast     with six tastes ,

Along with the members   of your army also .”

And gave all that was produced  by Surabhi to them,

And after king Koushika and his army ate    that feast .

And then scented flower garland   and sandal paste   was given to all,

And king Viswamithra after his    tiredness   vanished.

After thinking it deeply   told Vasishta      the  following.

574-576 .”Oh sage of great penance    though   you did not get up from your seat,

This divine cow    gave    faultless food   to all the  victorious army.

And has done a very special deed    and because  ,

All the   great people who do not have any fault  ,

Who are masters of Veda     are telling that  ,

“All  great  things in the kingdom belong to the king,,

And    also since this cow is not that suitable to you,

You please give this great cow  Surabhi    to me.”

And when he told like this   Vasishta did  not reply for some time,

And later  told,”Oh king who has the spear to destroy the enemies,

I who am a sage who wears   the tree hide as  dress ,

I do not have the right   too give Surabhi to you.

And so you yourself    can take her of your own accord,

And as soon as he told this, that king saluted him and  said,

“I would do accordingly”  and got up with lot of enthusiasm,

And when he tied that Cow Surabhi and was   starting  ,

That cow got herself freed     of the rope by which  is tied,

And asked sage  Vasishta “oh sage  , who has learned and,

Who has nderstood all the Vedas , Did you give  me  to,

Viswamithra who has pretty shoulders?”

And then  That sage   who knew all arts started  replying.

577.  “I did not give you   but  this king with victorious umbrella  ,

Has caught you and taking you of his own accord.”  Replied the  sage  ,

That cow who got very angry   told  “I would  myself destroy,

The army of the  king    who have drums that make sound like thunder, please  see it.”

And immediately   all the hair   of her body shook greatly

578.Then  Babbara  , Yavana , Chinese , Jonakas*  and other Mlecha soldiers,

Appeared   from her body   along with various weapons  ,

And completely made in to pieces   the entire  strong army of King Koushika,

And then the sons of Koushika who are by nature  

Short tempered   started attacking her.

       *Muslims are called Jonakas   in Kerala even today

579.Those very angry sons of Koushika   assuming that  their army,

Was not killed by Mlechas  or the cow Surabhi   but  thinking that,

It was by the deception   of the divine saint who knew all Vedas,

Telling the valorous words, “Now itself   we  will cut his head off”,

And went near Vasishta   who  stared   at them   by his eyes,

Which produced    fire   and all the sons of Viswamithra died.

580.Then Viswamithra seeing   that all his hundred   sons have  been killed,

Rose like a fire on which ghee has been poured  , came in his chariot with a long flag,

Bent his bow extremely and started shooting his arrows continuously   at  Vasishta.

And he in turn kept  his  staff of Brahma  in front of himself and told ,

Now receive   all those arrows sent by Viswamithra.

581.Then Viswamithra sent at him    the arrows of different gods which he had learnt,

But the staff of Vasishta swallowed all of them   and was shining undefeated,

And Koushika saluted Lord Shiva who had the mountain Meru as his  bow,

And as soon as he prayed him  Lord Shiva came , gave him an arrow   and vanished

582.Viswamithra then sent that weapon  and all those in the world of devas ,

Thinking that he would burn all the worlds, were scared and hid themselves,

But Vasishta who saw that weapon  which neared him   burning like fire,

Produced very hot fire from his body   and made that weapon  not  effective,

And thus the weapon of Shiva   which cannot be destroyed became ineffective.

583.That king who saw the weapon of Shiva becoming   ineffective  ,

Understood that thinking   strength and certain victory   are  ,

Definitely for   the sages   who have learnt the Vedas and not for others,

And further understanding that strength   that leads to one to rule the world,

Is nothing comparable before strength of a sage , he  decided,

To do penance and went to the east side  owned by Devendra.

584.Noticing that   the leader  of kings Koushika    was  thinking  in his mind,

About the victory attained by   the great Vasishta   of very great penance,

And was   doing penance   to attain that type of power,

The  king of devas  got scared   and sent  Thilothama ,

The deer like lady among the   divine maidens to spoil his penance.

585. The   king   seeing the beauty of  Thilothama   was hit  ,

By the arrows of God of love  , lost his   purity of thought,

And for several days got drowned in the sea of passion with her ,

And later understood the   books of arts   written by great writers,

 And started hating that passion like poison and started laughing.

586. Understanding that his penance was spoiled    by the cheating,

By  the king who ruled  over the world of devas  , Viswamithra became very angry  ,

He cursed Thilothama, “  You would be born in the world as a human lady”,

And due to his lotus eyes becoming red    due to his anger of the mind  ,

He left that place  and reached the  southern side ruled by Yama ,

Who was the  strongest among those  who ruled directions.

587.After he reached the southern side and was carrying out   his penance  ,

Trisanku who was the strong king of Ayodhya approached  his Guru Vasishta,

And requested him to help him to go to heaven along with  human body,

And Vasishta told him .”I do not know the method  of sending  any one,

To the heavens with the human body”  and refused his request.

588.Then Trisanku told him, “sir if it is not possible for you  ,

I would approach some one else whom I like   in this great world,

And get the fire sacrifice  done    and  get my  desire  fulfilled  through him.”

At this Vasishta got very angry with him  ,” Oh powerful king who has great anger,

You have removed the teacher of your forefathers   and  ,

Are saying that  you would like to choose   Guru of your own.

Because of this you become   a Pulaya(untouchable).”

589.”Oh lad , when Vasishta the son of Lord Brahma cursed him like this,

Lost his regal royal form  which used to make even sun god jealous ,

Losing his  pretty face which was  like a fully opened lotus flower,

And assumed a form that   all the people of earth hated, then and there.”

590.All the ornaments as well as the crown that he  wore became black,

And was similar to iron ,The cloths that he wore as well as his sacred thread ,

Became made of  animal hide  and he lost all his beauty   and became black,

And when he went back like this to his city , he found  that,

Every one was abusing him and so he reached the forest.

591.After spending a few days in the forest  , one day,

This king reached   the hermitage where king Koushika   was doing penance,

And when Koushika asked him, “who are you who  is looking  like a Chandala?

Why  have  you come here”, Then Trisanku saluted him ,

And told him   all  the news as it happened.

592.When Koushika heard this , saying  with a laugh “only that much?”,

He further told,  “I would  carry out a great fire sacrifice for you,

And send you to heaven with this human body” and then when he  invited,

Several sages of great penance , they all assembled there  and at that time,

Sons of sage Vasishta  told, “we have not heard   of a king,

Performing a fire sacrifice for the sake of a Chandala .”

593.Then all the sages  said that   they  also would not agree  to this act,

And Koushika became enraged  and cursed the sons of Vasishta,

“You would become hunters who do debased work.”   , and,

Immediately they all became hunters and went to different forests,

And Koushika started the fire sacrifice  and invited the devas,

And while offering  food in the fire    told to them,

“All of you who do not take food come and participate.”

594.The devas told , “ this king  , for the sake of this Chandala .,

After completing the fire sacrifice   is calling us to come speedily,

What a great act”  and thus  jeered and laughed at Viswamithra,

But that Koushika steadfastly   seeing that king,

Who had an army of elephants with rope tied in their neck, told,

“you go to heaven  and I am telling it based on the power of my penance,

 And Trisanku went up to the heaven like an air plane.

595.When that king went in to the heavens  , the devas got very angry and after asking him

“How is it proper that you who is a Chandala is coming to heaven with your body?

And so go back.”   and  then they pushed him back to earth   ,

And when he was falling  down with head down,

AS he did not have any support, he shouted   ,

“Oh Koushika   , you are  my only protection and I surrender  to you.”

And hearing that  Koushika  loudly told, “Stop where you are” and laughed like thunder.

596-597. .Then Koushika told , “I will again create  another set   devas   as well as heaven,

Let the sun , moon and all other planets   as well as stars   that   I create 

Be always shining   and rise in the south and set  in the north  “

After ordering like this   when he started    the creation   ,

Along with moving and not moving beings  , Indra with the scented Kalpaka tree,

Lord Brahma with four faces , Lord Shiva with blackened neck,

Along with all other  devas    as well as sages   and told him,

“Please pardon. The  dharma which upholds one is very great .

Let this king Trisanku merge     with the stars    and be there permanently.”

598.”Oh king of great penance  you would become the five stars in the south,

And tell  about your greatness to the world  as the royal    saint,”

And after the devas left  that honest saint    speedily travelled from there,

And reached the western side which is   the side of the God of the sea

And again  he was doing great penance there,

599.A king called Ambareeksha  Who had an army with  great swords,

Who used to talk pleasant to hear  sweet words  and who was ,

Like the soul to all the beings    on this entire earth

And who  was one who is dear to all , for the sake of buying a man,

To conduct a fire sacrifice   in which a man is offered   in the fire,

Was wandering  in search all over the forests with gold   filled  chariots.

600-601. He approached a  saint called Richaka who had done great penance ,

In the garden in which he lived   and asked him to sell one of his three sons to him,

Richaka’s wife told that youngest son was hers only and cannot be sold,

And Richaka told the eldest    son was his and so cannot be sold,

And when  they knew   that their middle son  Sunachepa was  willing ,

And laughed at the fact that his parents were    willing to sell him,

And seeing Ambareeksha told, “please give sufficient money to my father ,

So that his poverty is completely destroyed” and later he saluted his father ,

And riding on the  non stoppable chariot of the king  when he was going,

The sun who has rays which give great luster  reached the middle of the sky.

602. Ambareeksha got down from the chariot there  for performing rituals of noon,

And that Good  Sunachepa   also got down   for the same purpose   and there he saw ,

The sage Koushika   of the pure mind  who had got rid of bad qualities   like jealousy

And with great sorrow  he saluted       the lotus like feet   of sage.

603. That   saint  with great characters seeing   that lad who saluted him with the fear of death,

Asked him , “ Why are you so depressed? Please tell me ”  and he who had surrendered to the sage told,

“Oh saint who knows inner meaning of books of Dharma  , my mother and father  after receiving

Great wealth, gave me away    to king Ambareeksha”  and then  he related everything.

604-605.Hearing   how the mother along with her husband  , sold him,

That great sage  told him, “ Leave   out this great   fear for,

I will protect you   “and saying like this   he told his sons,

“One of you go instead of him to be sacrificed” and since they refused,

That sage   got so angry , with eyes becoming so red  that even,

The rising Sun god felt ashamed , With each of  his pores of hair  ,

Breathing   the Badava fire  , that Koushika  cursed  his sons,

“Oh merciless minded ones  , you all    become savage hunters,

And roam about in forests   and suffer great sorrow.”

606 After cursing the four of his sons   who did  not die,

Earlier due to the anger   of sage Vasishta  , he told.,

That nephew like lad standing before him ,

“Stop getting depressed   and becoming sad.

Please receive    two mantras    from me just now  ,”

And then he taught   him those  mantras  and started telling him.

607.”Oh lad   who wears  a soft garland with honey*,

You go with the king and when he ties you to the pillar of sacrifice,

Chant these mantras   and as soon as you tell it  ,

Devas, Brahma  , Shiva who rides  on a bull   would come,

To take their share from the sacrifice  and it would come to an end,

But no harm would come to your life” and hearing that ,

That lad praised    him and then went along with the king.

       * The sacrificial animal would    be garlanded before sacrifice.

608.When that lad chanted  the mantras as  per the directions of the Vedic sage ,

In the place of fire sacrifice , the gods riding on Garuda , swan and the bull,

Surrounded by all devas   riding on their steeds   came  to that fire sacrifice,

And protected that Yaga done as per  Vedas as well as life of that lad.

The sage Koushika after finishing the penance in west went   towards north.

609. That sage reaching the north  , keeping his lotus like   hand on his nose ,

And made Ida and PIngala   rise through his heart  by meditating on Pranava(Om),

And went on doing  penance for very many years   and then due to,

The root fire raising up and breaking his skull   and spread ,

 Making the entire world covered by darkness   and the world was dejected.

610.When Lord Shiva     who burnt the three cities , tore open the elephant,

And when he adjusted    his body and   used the hide top cover it ,

Like good characters  similar to    the clouds  that    spread everywhere ,

The smoke from  that root fire   from the sage covered  the earth.

611. That darkness   which was every where joined together  ,

And   spread  all over   the world, which made the rays of sun hidden,

And because of it  the  eyes  of all gods who protect all directions ,

As also   the eyes of the eight elephants that   carry the earth   got jaded.

 612.When   the clouds which are the cause  of life   spread ,

The entire earth with smoke   and went  inside every thing,

The moving and not moving beings   of the  world get scared,

And due to the very harsh   and hot sun’s rays  the Devas  started shivering.

613. The God who lives on lotus  , Lord Vishnu who rides on Garuda  ,

Lord Shiva who rides on a bull ,  Indra  and all other devas.

Came separately from very many different places ,

And met   that  great sage   whose wealth was penance.

614. The God who wears   the moon  , The god  of great light,

Who wore green thulasi and Brahma who lives on lotus flower  .

Seeing that sage   told, “Oh great sage , There is no one else,

Other    than you   who have seen the  other shore of Vedas.”

615.That Brahmin who heard these words  , bent his head,

Folded his two lotus like hands , “Today I have received,

The fruit of penance that every one desires”

And  became very happy   and all the devas  ,

Who came there    went back to their places.

616.”This  is all what happened and there is no one like this Koushika ,

Who has attained    greatness   through his penance  and you have got,

The grace   of this sage  who is greatly just and a great follower of  Dharma,

And so no task whatsoever   is impossible to both of you,”

So said   the sage Sadananda   who has limitless  goodness.

617. Like this when the son of sage Gowthama told them,

The victorious heroes   heard all these with great wonder  ,

And became happy   and fell at the feet of that sage  with great penance  ,

And that   sage   blessed both of them and   went back to his place.

618. After  the sage and his younger brother   as  per   their custom,

 Reached the   place of sleep which   was sweet for them,

Rama who resembled a fruit of darkness  , along ,

With the night, the  moon  and the loneliness,

Became one with the thoughts of that  girl.

619.”Is there a possibility    of lightning  ,

Getting separated from the clouds   ,

And taking the form of a girl ? If so,

I do not know any other case except this  ,

For I am seeing her within my eye as   well as  mind .”

620.”Since the girl   has eyes   like the  ocean of milk,

Where the black Vishnu   sleeps   on that water on,

Adhisesha who never   gets  tired of giving  ,

Is living    on the lotus of my heart,

Has she become  the  Goddess Lakshmi.”

621. Though she may not have mercy on me  ,

As if to cure    the love sickness   in me  ,

Due    to the love that I developed to her,

She had swallowed   me  by   her eye

And  in this   world which is not clear  ,

Where moving and non moving things live,

Have all  become   the golden form of that girl.

622. “Though her golden pot like breats  ,,

Over which many ornaments   wave

Did not have a chance to press  firmly against my chest,

Would it be  possible for me    at some time or other ,

To again see her full moon like face ,

Which has moon light like smile and ,

Has lips which are   like deep red fruits?

623. The lady  god of death  whom I always think about,

Has  a  pretty coloured waist belt  , tied over   chariot base ,

Like hips  and  she has two long   sword   like eyes ,

Two very stout breasts  , a  pleasant smile filled  mouth,

And are all these required  for her  to kill me?”

624.” If that God of love   bending his bow of sugarcane  ,
Hits me     with a rain of   flower decked arrows , so that,

I would always be thinking about the    girl,

Then what  is the point   of  my  having   strength and health.”

625.” The moon light   which is spreading like water like

The overflow of  the deep  milk of ocean which ebbs  out,

Is  trying to destroy  my soul  which is there because  of the thought of that   girl,

And I wonder   whether   there   is a white coloured poison also.”

626. Would my mind ever  go in a path   which is not a good path,

And so the  girl who has   a syrup like talk    and a golden form,

Is indeed a  maid(virgin?)   , and for this there  is no doubt whatsoever.

627.Like the lustrous  ceremonial umbrella  of the king of night falling,

And like  the  Chutti* ornament hanging     from the youthful,

Hair parting      which is blemish less  has fallen down,

The moon   which was shining went inside the   western sea,

        *Hanging from hair parting on forehead

628. When  the moon who is their God left  , the directions,

Who were his darlings  on whom he  had  applied  white paste,

Of sandal   and as if   due to sorrow   of parting , they all   rubbed it out ,

As soon    as the moon set  , the white  moon light  went out.

629.When Rama who was wearing a scented garland  , which due to love  sickness,

Was getting worn out   , The Sun   made   his wives of lotus flowers,

Show their faces   which  rose    up  and  he rose   as if   he is   the red fire  ,

Which comes   out of the eye of the   forehead  of   the  god of the ,

Dark  sunrise   mountain  who was wearing elephant hide .

630. Using   the  dust raising   from the Udayagiri mountains ,

Due to the fast and strong   hoof strikes   of the green horses,

Which were made wet   by the  water and flower offerings  ,

Offered by the hands of  Brahmins  ,  the Sun   appeared  ,

Like   the red   thilak  he put   on   the    elephant   controlling the east side ,

And  his  young rays  went on   to all the peaks of that stable mountain,

And all those   peaks of the  mountain appeared red.

631.Before  parting with their darlings  , the lord  tells 

 His wife about  the day when he   would come back ,

From   fighting war in the battle field    or      after   earning    of   wealth .

And when  that  lord    who wears  scented garlands    which are  constantly    followed by bees,

Who is their lord   who is like their   soul  , comes at the appointed time ,

Riding   on a  pretty  gem studded    chariot  , then the faces of the darlings,

Which had lost   its  luster  regains the  shine  and they  get free of tiredness ,

And like those   virtuous wives , the lotus flowers    opened   up  ,

Seeing their Lord the Sun God coming on his chariot at   the  appointed time  .

And due to this   all the lotus ponds   were   full of shining fully opened  flowers.

632.  Along  With Kinnaras  singing   innumerable   Vedic songs  , with world  praising  ,

With  devas , sages, priests   and Brahmins    saluting   him with    folded hands ,

And with    the drums   where  wax is applied   raising huge sound  ,

The   red rays    of the very  lustrous Sun    was dancing    on the stage of the great sky  ,

Opened up   golden matted hair   of   the God   who has eye of fire on his forehead  ,

633.That Rama of the colour of the cloud , not holding  the killer wheel in the  very old  ocean of milk,

But holding on his strong arms , the powerful bent bow and not sleeping  in the bed of thousand heads  

Where   each head   was holding light of gem ,  due to his   being away from his Sita,

Is sleeping   on the sea of sorrow   and the Sun   riding  on a lustrous  chariot  ,

Is slowly caressing his feet   so that  he would wake up and see   the end of  the  sea of night.

634.When the night  passed off as if one  long eon   had gone  by  ,

Rama woke up  like a decorated elephant   and after completing,

The old  prescribed  rituals   , after saluting the sage   who   had the form of the Vedas,

Along with his dear brother  , wearing  scented flower garland  ,

And his gem studded crown  and the necklace   of his great clan,

Reached the  very big  sacrificial hall   of king Janaka.

635.That crowned king Janaka   after completing the fire sacrifice as per Vedas,

With drums blaring forth in   all directions   like thunder  , like Indra ,

Reached his palace   which was so high that it was touching  the moon,

And there in the hall of gems   received   his guests   , offering them seats ,

And   sat  along with the sage  of great penance  . Rama wearing  ,

The fresh garland of betel leaves   and holding  the bow which by its nature bends,

And with his brother  by his side  , the king Janaka  occupied his position in the hall.

636.After drinking the beauty   of the  lads of high birth , who were sitting near him,

Janaka saluted the sage   with great penance   by  falling at his feet, he asked,
“oh sage  , please tell me who these lads    are  ? and sage said,” These guests  ,

Are the sons of the very honourable Dasaratha  and they have  come to see your Yaga.

And since that is over   they would like to see   the bow of Shiva   also.”

And then he started   telling about the   fame    and greatness  of those lads.

 

.